There's been a lot of backlash towards AI art in 2025, and now, AI artists are striking back with a fresh piece of ragebait that traditional artists can't help but fall for.

The term is "pencilslop," and it's being used to make fun of traditional artists for requiring physical tools to make artwork as opposed to prompts and a computer.

So, where did the term come from, and how exactly has it become so prevalent online? Here's what you need to know.

What Is 'Pencilslop?'

The term "pencilslop" first started spreading online as early as March 2025, when X / Twitter users began using it to ragebait traditional artists.

For those who don't know, "ragebait" is a term describing something that is posted dishonestly in the hopes it will make somebody angry.

Pencilslop is one of many examples of slop slang terms, where "slop" is added to a word to give it a negative context, often tied to AI.

Recently, the term "pencilslop," along with the term "digislop," started popping up on TikTok alongside videos of AI-generated images and videos as a way of ironically hyping up AI art over traditional art. Now, it's getting some people mad.

@blue_unit trad art is like writing books without a printing press #aiartist #aiart #art #fyp #breakthepencil ♬ Orb of dreamers – ꧁ 𝐴𝑟𝑡𝑁𝑜𝑢𝑣𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑠 ❦ ꧂

How Is 'Pencilslop' Used In Memes?

Pencilslop is mostly used as a form of ragebait to start arguments and incite rage online. The majority of uses are ultimately ironic and share blatant misinformation, claiming that generating art with AI is better for the environment than traditionally creating art, as pencils and other art supplies require trees to be made.

The term is proving significantly popular on sites like TikTok thanks to users like @blue_unit, who are posting videos comprised of AI imagery over captions making fun of pencilslop artists.

TikTok comment sections are also filling up with AI-generated memes criticizing pencilslop artists, many of which include misspelled words and mangled images that AI is known to produce.

The term is now going viral on X / Twitter once again as artists continue to fall for the bait and argue with the pro-AI crowd online.

What Are Some More 'Pencilslop' Memes?

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For the full history of Pencilslop, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.